Esmeralda Hernandez, Francisca Castaneda and Analilia Monarrez have been selected to participate in a Healthy Iron Chef Competition Sept. 19 at Troth Elementary School in Jurupa Valley.

“It was hard to break the cycle of unhealthy eating, but I did it”, said Hernandez, a mother of five children living in Jurupa Valley. Hernandez has started to make better decisions about what to eat and often looks for tips on how to add more fruits and vegetables to her family’s meals. “Parents should pay more attention to the foods they give their children.”

Throughout Latino Health Awareness Month, the Network for a Healthy California creates opportunities for communities to come together and learn better eating habits by, among other things, sharing tips and resources, and joining the movement for healthy change.

“We are encouraging Latino families to take a stand against obesity by breaking the cycle of unhealthy eating,” said Pelayo, Network for a Healthy California coordinator. In the last decade, obesity has doubled among Latino children and now nearly half of Latino children ages 9 to 11 are overweight or obese.

Analilia Monarrez, mother of four, said: “My great motivation in participating in the Healthy Iron Chef Competition is to learn how to prepare healthy meals for my children since both sides of my family have problems with diabetes and hypertension.”

Studies show that maintaining normal weight reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by almost 70 percent. Children whose parents are overweight or obese are at higher risk for becoming obese themselves. In fact, four in five overweight young people with an obese parent will become obese adults.

After attending a nutrition class taught at Troth Elementary School by Pelayo, Francisca Castaneda, mother of seven, said she learned to make healthy changes. “When making chile rellenos, I am using less fat and salt, and I am adding more vegetables”, said Castaneda.

Latino parents can commit to making their family’s health a priority and begin making changes. Even small changes can quickly add up to make big differences.

The Iron Chef event is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is hosted by Network for a Healthy California and Molina Healthcare of California. The school is located at 5565 Troth St. Participants will compete against each other in preparing a healthy recipe in front of an audience.

For more information, tips and free resources like healthy Latino recipes, visit www.NotMyKids.net or find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/NetworkForAHealthyCalifornia

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